Cash Relief for Earthquake Survivors
GiveDirectly
Update: currently delivering cash to earthquake survivors in Turkey.
Learn more about our emergency relief work and give directly to other survivors here.
In February, two earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria – 23 million people were impacted, including millions of Syrian refugees who had previously fled violence.
You can send funds directly to refugee small business owners and other hard-hit communities in Turkey who have lost their livelihoods in the wake of the disaster.
Giving cash lets survivors quickly meet their own needs.
Nearly 2 million Syrian refugees live in the area of Turkey hit by the earthquake. They already struggled to start a life in their new home and now face the difficult task of restarting again.
Everything 26-year-old Syrian refugee Raghad and her family owned was lost in a matter of seconds during the quakes. Even though they have experienced upheaval dozens of times due to the war in Syria, this time feels the hardest. “Every time we’ve been displaced before, I still had a sense of what to expect,” she told Al Jazeera. “But this time, I have no idea what’s next.” – Al Jazeera
Cash can help provide relief for refugees already facing unimaginable challenges.
Receiving money – without strings attached – supports their short term survival and long term recovery. Cash aid is fast and fully remote, letting families meet essential needs quickly and reaching them via digital transfers that don’t tax fragile supply chains or clog transit routes.
With cash, refugees can keep their businesses afloat and begin to recover.
After fleeing a civil war, many Syrian refugees started new lives in Turkey. The community grew to include over 15,000 refugee-led small businesses that now support 250,000 workers and their families. Weeks after initial rescue efforts, these refugees now must rebuild – but without a credit history they struggle to access formal loans.
Your donations will go to these Syrian micro-entrepreneurs and workers who’ve lost their source of income. These funds will help them weather the immediate crisis and restart their livelihoods.
In partnership with:
Your donations will be allocated to our cash response for earthquake survivors in the region. In the unlikely event that we’re unable to deliver all donations to those directly affected, any remaining funds will be allocated to future emergency relief programs.
Who is eligible to receive money?
With our partners at Building Markets, we’re targeting struggling Syrian refugee micro-entrepreneurs and low-income workers in the hardest-hit regions of Turkey (Hatay, Adana, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa). We’re conducting on-the-ground scoping to develop eligibility criteria that prioritizes the highest-need families based on poverty levels and exclusion from other aid programs.
In parallel with our response serving refugees, we’re scoping operational models that could enable cash delivery to other marginalized survivors.
How much money will people receive?
In our first enrollment phase, over 1,000 families will receive ₺9,000 Turkish lira (~$477 USD). This transfer size is designed to meet essential needs based on current market prices.
With more funding, we can provide additional relief to survivors to support longer-term recovery and investments.
How will money be delivered?
The majority of Turkey’s refugee population has access to banking services and will receive cash via digital transfer. We are prepared to distribute money via local partners or pre-paid cards in the event that families can’t access financial networks.
What if you raise excess funds?
Millions of survivors urgently need money to survive and rebuild their lives. If fundraising surpasses our current goal, we’re prepared to scale our response to deliver more funds to more people in need. If we’re unable to deliver all emergency relief funds to those directly affected for any reason, the remaining funds will be allocated to future emergency relief programs.
What is GiveDirectly?
We’re a nonprofit that lets donors send money directly to the world’s poorest, no strings attached. We have delivered cash aid to 1.5M people across 13 countries, including crises and natural disaster responses in Malawi, Puerto Rico, and Yemen.
Is my gift tax-deductible?
Yes, donations are tax-deductible in the United States. GiveDirectly is a registered 501(c)(3), and our U.S. federal EIN is 27-1661997.
We accept all major credit and debit cards, PayPal, checks, wires, stocks, cryptocurrencies, and more. Reach out to us at [email protected] for more information on ways to give.
Your donations will be allocated to our cash response for earthquake survivors in the region. In the unlikely event that we’re unable to deliver all donations to those directly affected, any remaining funds will be allocated to future emergency relief programs.